OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

STAGE
3
The story
A small group of terrorists hijack a plane with a
number of passengers on board. The hijackers force
the pilot to land at a small airport in the country they
are ying over. They announce they are the Peoples
Liberation Army, and threaten to hold the passengers
hostage until certain demands are met. They ask the
Government of the country to release two of their
brothers, who were convicted of terrorist offences
and are in prison not far away. The hijackers know that
the Prime Minister is a woman, but at rst they are not
aware that her husband, Carl, is on the plane. His
police bodyguard, Harald, makes a brave attempt to
protect Carl, by pretending that Carl is a prisoner being
escorted to another prison. Meanwhile, the Prime
Minister, Helen Sandberg, meets police and military
experts at the airport to discuss the situation. She
asks the terrorists to set the hostages free, but the
hijackers reply is to shoot an American passenger in
cold blood. They threaten to kill another passenger
every half-hour until their fellow-terrorists are
released. Helen orders the two convicted terrorists to
be brought from prison to the airport. On the plane,
Harald tries to overpower two of the hijackers, but
fails. The terrorists identify Carl as the Prime Ministers
husband, and are delighted, thinking she will agree to
their demands to save her husband. In spite of
pressure from the American and British Ambassadors,
Helen and Colonel Carter, head of the commando unit,
work out their own rescue plan. The hijackers agree
that if one of the released prisoners is sent onto the
plane, a hundred passengers will be freed. Then the
plane will be refuelled, the other prisoner will reach
the plane, and the other passengers will be set free.
Only the pilot and Carl will be kept on the plane, to be
freed later. In fact, however, the commandos attack
the plane, all the terrorists are shot or arrested, and
the passengers, including Carl and Harald, are
released safe and sound.
Background to the story
Skyjack! is set in an imaginary country, whose Prime
Minister is a woman. She does not want to allow
Skyjack!
Tim Vicary
Introduction
Britain or the USA to set up military bases there, and
she is also determined to solve the problem of the
hijacking without the help of the British or American
Ambassadors and their military forces.
Terrorism occurs when individuals or groups of
people use terror or violent action to draw attention to
their cause, and may involve hijacking, bomb attacks,
assassination of public gures, etc. Most societies
consider that a terrorist act is one of the very worst
crimes, and the punishment is usually a lengthy prison
sentence, or in some countries, the death penalty. In
the country in this story, the two brother terrorists
had tried to put a bomb on a plane, and had been sent
to prison for thirty years.
Difcult decisions need to be taken when a hijack
takes place. The authorities are under intense
pressure to act fast, and act effectively. They must try
to get all the hostages released unharmed, but also
arrest and punish the hijackers.
Discussion points
If you strongly believed in something, or wanted to
change something in society, would you
a discuss it with friends and other people, and try
to persuade them?
b write letters to newspapers?
c write to the Government or Members of
Parliament?
d go on protest marches or demonstrations?
e put posters on walls?
f go on strike?
g take violent action?
Is there any other action you could take?
Which of these methods do you think are most
effective?
PHOTOCOPIABLE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
STAGE
3
Skyjack!
Pre-reading activity
Match the words with the pictures
To the teacher
Aim: To familiarize students with the setting and to
predict the plot
Time: 30 minutes
Organization: Give one copy of the worksheet to
each student or each pair or group of students. Ask
the students to match the picture with the correct
caption. Now ask students to discuss what is
happening in the pictures and how the people
involved are probably feeling. Ask students to put the
pictures in a suitable order for telling a story. Groups
should exchange their opinions and story ideas. (Do
not tell any group that they are right or wrong about
the actual plot of Skyjack!)
Key: 1e, 2g, 3a, 4d, 5f, 6c, 7b.
1 4 6
2
3
5 7
a Helen was talking to the Airport Police on the telephone.
b The Colonel put some grenades in the coat pocket.
c Free! You are free now, brother!
d Harald tore the passport into pieces. Then he ate them!
e Welcome aboard, sir.
f Carl could see the bearded hijacker from the light of the
instruments.
g The air hostess had a machine gun in her hand.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE
STAGE
3
1 The airline is responsible for passengers
safety. It is the airlines fault if a hijack
happens.
# # # # # # #
2 Governments should never give terrorists
what they want.
# # # # # # #
3 Terrorists are freedom-ghters, who have to
hijack planes and take other violent action,
because it is the only way to get publicity
for their cause.
# # # # # # #
4 The crew of the plane should carry guns
and be able to ght off any hijackers.
# # # # # # #
5 It is not important if some passengers die,
as long as the terrorists are caught and
punished.
6 Passengers should not just accept the
hijackers orders; they should try to ght
the terrorists.
# # # # # # #
7 Security in airports should be much
stricter, to prevent hijacking.
# # # # # # #
8 Police can promise the hijackers anything,
in order to get the passengers freed. Then
the promises can be broken.
# # # # # # #
9 People who travel by air two or three
times a year should expect to be hijacked
sometime in their lives.
# # # # # # #
10 Hijackers should be given the death
penalty.
Skyjack!
While reading activity
Pyramid discussion
To the teacher
Where: At the end of Chapter 9, or 10, or 11
Aim: To consider a variety of opinions on the theme
of hijacking
Time: 5060 minutes
Organization: Give each student a copy of the list of
statements below, and ask them individually (1) to
decide which ones they agree with and to rank them
in order according to how strongly they feel. Then put
students in pairs (2) to repeat the task and, after
discussion, produce an order based on compromise.
Then put students in fours (4) to repeat the activity.
Students repeat the activity in groups of eight (8) and
so on until nally, the class can decide the preferred
order together.
This activity gives students the opportunity to
repeat their arguments, listen to new views, and try
to persuade or dissuade, as the pyramid grows.
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
4 4 4 4
8 8
PHOTOCOPIABLE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
STAGE
3
1 Weve been away for a
long time.
2 There is a change of
plan.
3 Ill look at it while you
make me a cup of coffee.
4 She will do what we say.
5 This is going to be very
difcult, isnt it?
6 I wont let you die for
me, you know.
7 I cant bring them here.
8 Youre a murderer!
9 Theyll just take that
goddam plane apart.
10 I dont think you
understand what youre
doing.
11 We will set them free
later.
12 I told you, this is a
serious mistake.
13 It was an expensive
raincoat.
14 Is it him? Yes, it is!
15 You must not do that.
16 I think were in the news
again.
Skyjack!
After reading activity
Who said what, to whom, where and what about?
To the teacher
Aim: To focus students attention back on the
characters
Time: 1520 minutes
Organization: Give each student or group of
students a copy of the chart below. Ask them to
identify who said these words, who to, where and
about what.
WHO? WHO TO? WHERE? WHAT ABOUT?